Summary

The poem, On the Nature of Things, written by Lucretius Carus that Poggio discovered had been widely read for centuries after it had been written. Some disagreed with its philosophy including Cicero – Poggio’s favorite writer – but he recognized its brilliance and perfection. As a teenager, the most highly revered Roman poet, Virgil, had been obsessed with the poem. Unlike many Roman poets and philosophers, nothing much is known about Lucretius.

Lucretius was a contemporary of Philodemus whose words and thoughts were buried in the lava and mud in the library of large villa in Herculaneum that was a victim of the infamous Mt. Vesuvius eruption that obliterated the city of Pompeii. The master of the villa may well have invited Lucretius into his villa on occasion to share passages of his poem with elite intellectuals of the day. Lucretius would have discussed...